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DNA spray offers cystic fibrosis hope

British researchers are to trial a new gene therapy for cystic fibrosis in which sufferers simply inhale a spray laden with DNA.

The announcement comes just days after Gordon Brown, the chancellor, and his wife Sarah announced that their four-month-old son Fraser had been diagnosed with the inherited condition.

If it works, the £20m programme could lead to a treatment that will improve and extend the lives of thousands of cystic fibrosis sufferers around the world.

“I’m optimistic. We’ve harnessed the best scientific talent in the UK and they’re very focused,” said Rosie Barnes, chief executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the charity that is funding most of the cost of the trial. “If anybody’s able to do it, they are.”

The disease is caused by a defective gene that causes the lungs and airways to fill with sticky mucus, which acts as a breeding ground for bacteria.